Mortimer’s Century Outshines McGuire’s Effort as Malahide Defeat Rush

Mortimer had come to the crease after Alan Reynolds (50) and John Pryor (33) had smashed a stunning 80-run opening partnership in just 33 balls.

Malahide were chasing 270 to win and the openers were obviously in a hurry to get on with the job. Naturally the scoring had to slow but Greg Ford (45) put on 121 with Mortimer for the fourth wicket to take the visitors to the brink of victory.

It was Matt Ford (24*) who took Malahide home alongside Mortimer but there was no doubting who the star of the show with the bat was. Despite John Pryor’s best efforts earlier in the innings.

Rush had posted 269/8 off their 48 overs thanks to a maiden senior century from Nathan McGuire (107) and half-centuries from Stephen Doheny (57) and Harry Archer (56).

McGuire and Archer put on 128 for the first wicket when the match got underway 45 minutes late due to misty rain and reduced by 2-overs a side.

McGuire showed his full array of shots, firing 15 boundaries and just the two sixes in his 124-ball innings. It was Stephen Doheny who showed the most power hitting in the home side’s innings, striking half of their eight maximums himself in his 34-ball 57.

However, Rush couldn’t add big runs in the latter stages of the innings, instead six wickets fell for 36 runs in the final five overs and all the momentum swung towards Malahide.

Kelvin Donnelly (3-58) and Peter Chase (3-65) were the chief destroyers for Malahide and bowled well when the tight confines of Kenure Park are factored into their figures.

For Rush, Jurie Snyman’s 2-37 off ten overs were very impressive but in truth the Malahide innings was all about the openers taking them to 69/0 in four overs and then Mortimer showing his class to win the match comfortably.

In a rain reduced match, Max Sorensen top-scored with 70 as Merrion made 170/7 in 22 overs. In reply, Jack Balbirnie’s 50 was in vain as Pembroke could only muster 142/6 off their allocation.

The Hills continued their remarkable 2019 season as they had a 2-wicket victory over Phoenix with just three balls to spare.

Poonish Mehta’s unbeaten 60 was the cornerstone of Phoenix’s 139/9 off 26 overs in another rain-affected game. Joey Carroll’s 36 was the highest score in a team effort that took The Hills to 140/8 in a final over thriller.

The final match in the LHW Financial Planning Premier League on Saturday fell foul of the weather as YMCA and Leinster was postponed.

In the Championship, Railway Union against Terenure was also postponed.

Macalister Wright struck 85 as the home side made 227/6 off their 28 overs before Kevin Prior led the bowling with 3-25 to restrict Balbriggan to 182/5, despite Clinton Hinchcliffe top-scoring with 67.